Warner backs T20 tri-series for 2020 prep

Stand-in captain David Warner wants to see Australia involved in more T20 tri-series tournaments.

David Warner wants Australia's World Twenty20 assault to be based around mini-tournaments like the tri-series against England and New Zealand as they aim to climb the world rankings.

The World T20 is the one trophy that alludes Australia, with their best chance to add to the one solitary finals appearance coming in the home tournament in 2020.

This summer's tri-series against England and New Zealand is the first of its kind for Australia, and Cricket Australia are in talks about turning this year's Test series in Zimbabwe into a similar Twenty20 tournament with the hosts and Pakistan.

However, there are no such similar tri-series planned for next summer as Australia hosts South Africa in bilateral ODI and T20 series along with India and Sri Lanka in Tests.

But Warner said it's something he'd like to play more as the Aussies ramp up their preparations.

"Definitely moving forward I think it's a great thing," Warner, who will captain the series, said.

"It's a great concept as it is at the moment rather than just playing the one-off game after the back end of a summer.

"You're not just playing the one team and it's the mini tournament and it gets you in tournament mode focus as well, which is great for the game too."

Australia's hopes of T20 growth have been hurt by a cluttered schedule and the fact the majority of their top-line stars play across all three formats of the game.

This summer's series is the second summer in the row matches have clashed with an overseas Test tour, while Australia have played less T20 internationals than most other major cricketing nations.

It's all culminated in team having slipped to a lowly seventh on the ICC world rankings.

"It doesn't sit well with us at all but at the end of the day we've got to keep improving," Warner said.

"We've probably said it for the last 12-24 months about improving our overall assessment of how we play this format.

"Sometimes we probably either fall in a heap with our batting or we don't start well with the ball."

However, Warner had hopes of that changing ahead of the home tournament.

"Moving forward, definitely leading into a World Cup here at home I think there's scheduled to be more T20 internationals," he said.

"And not just on the back end of series, I think there's going to be specific times when then the game is going to be played. We definitely take it 100 per cent serious."